Teaching kids to tie flies?

Needs to fish more..

Does any one having any experience in teaching 5-6 yr old kids to tie flies? My soon to be 6 yr old daughter has said she wants to tie flies with me!! Any ideas on what flies to tie? What techniques should i teach 1st?

Genuine Montana Fossil

"Woolie Buggers," as stated. And when they get frustrated with the results, remember what my Dad told me years ago: "Jimmy, there are 2 kinds of
flies . . . flies that catch fish & flies that catch fishermen. You're already tying the kind that catch fish; with practice & time, you'll soon be tying the other kind, too."

BigDog

If your daughter is anything like my grandson (which I doubt, since he seems particularly wiggly), getting her to sit still long enough to get through tying even a wooly bugger will be tough. I don't push him, but every so often he asks if he can tie another fly, so we tie up something fairly easy. He started with a (olive) wooly bugger (he had read all of Olive's books), and has progressed to gold ribbed hare's ears, damsel nymphs and a couple others. I have to have all the materials ready before he sits down at the vice, or he gets distracted really quickly. Usually he's good for the first couple of steps and then I have to do everything I can to keep him focused; in the end, I do the finishing.

He has a little fly box with all of Olive's fly friends in it. Some he has tied himself; some are mine. It's one of his favorite posessions.

Member

My son is 7 and has been tying flies with me for a couple years now. I didn't force him to tie fish able flies. He started using large hooks, large thread and tied what he wanted. My goal was to have him make the material stay on the hook. Over time he has become interested in tying fish able flies. Woolley buggers, even large hares ear are good patterns. Most of the time we get all set up, after 3 flies he's done. It's fun to have him hang out though.